The ministry of Information Communications Technology and the engineering brigade of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) are to work on the construction of an innovation hub in Kampala.

The hub will be built at the Uganda Information and Technology Institute in Nakawa, a Kampala suburb according to Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the ICT and National Guidance minister.

"We have come up with an innovation support programme. In 2017/18, we have $5m (Shs15b) in the budget. Working together with UPDF engineering brigade, we shall build an innovation hub at the Uganda Information and Technology Institute, Nakawa. The land has already been identified and come July 2017, we shall be launching it.

The innovation hub will offer free working space to innovators. They will come and use computers. There will also be free Wifi," Mr Tumwebaze said on the sidelines of the Transform Africa Summit 2017 in Kigali, Rwanda on Wednesday.

The innovation hub forms part of the broader digital strategy being drafted by the ministry of ICT. In it includes how government shall digitise some sectors such as education and health. Additionally, it will also include details on intellectual property and big data.

"We are in the final stages of tabling to Cabinet a digital strategy. This strategy will be setting out milestones for each sector. For instance the education sector, what are the e-education parameters and e-government parameters. When we get government services online, you cut costs and you remove corruption. We also have to train IT engineers to work for the government - and remunerate them better," he adds.

Transform Africa Summit is the annual African forum bringing together global and regional leaders from government, business and international organisations to collaborate on new ways of shaping, accelerating and sustaining Africa's on-going digital revolution.